THE CURE OF THE MAN BORN BLIND
As he went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should have been born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned. He was born blind so that the works of God might be revealed in him. As long as day lasts, we must carry out the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.” Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam” (the name means “one who has been sent”). Therefore, he went off, washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and the people, who used to see him before, for he was a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “Yes, it is the same one.” Others said, “No, but he looks just like him.” The man himself said, “Yes, I am the one.” So they said to him, “Then how is it that your eyes were opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam”; so I went, and when I washed I gained my sight.” They asked, “Where is he?” He answered, “I do not know.” They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. It had been a Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man’s eyes, so when the Pharisees asked him how he had gained his sight, he said, “He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.” Then some of the Pharisees said, “That man cannot be from God: he does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a sinner produce signs like this?” Therefore, there was division among them. Therefore, they spoke to the blind man again, “What have you to say about him yourself; now that he has opened your eyes?” The man answered, “He is a prophet.” However, the Jews would not believe that the man had been blind without first sending for the parents of the man who had gained his sight. They asked them, “Is this man really the son of yours who you say was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?” His parents answered, “We know he is our son and we know that he was born blind, but how he can see, we do not know, nor who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough: Let him speak for himself.” His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to ban from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. This is why his parents said, “Ask him. He is old enough.” Therefore, the Jews set for the man again and said to him, “Give glory to God! (Joshua 7:19) We are satisfied that this man is a sinner.” The man answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know; all I know is that I was blind and now I can see.” They said to him, “What did he do? How did he open your eyes?” He replied, “I have told you once and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples yourselves?” At this, they hurled abuse at him, “It is you who are his disciple, we are disciples of Moses: we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man replied, “This is just what is so amazing! You do not know where he comes from and he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to sinners, but God does listen to people who are devout and do his will. (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 16:29) Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of someone born blind; if this man was not from God, he would not have been able to do anything.” They retorted, “Are you trying to teach us, and you a sinner through and through ever since you were born!” Therefore, they ejected him. Jesus heard they had ejected him, and when he found him, he said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of man?” “Sir,” the man replied, “tell me who he is so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have seen him; he is speaking to you.” The man said, “Lord, I believe,” and worshipped him. Jesus said, “It is for judgment that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight may become blind.” Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, “So we are blind, are we?” Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty, but since you say, “We can see,” your guilt remains.” Return